Casey Janssen signs 1 year $5,000,000 contract with Nationals.
SPRO Analysis - Washington gets bargain in Janssen. Yes, change of role might denote the less money, but he is a closer if needed. SPRO $6,425,000.

Gordon Beckham signs 1 year $2,000,000 contract with White Sox.
SPRO Analysis - Chicago White Sox get bargain in Beckham. Career been sliding, but Beckham still has value and young enough to recover better seasons. SPRO $3,396,000.

Re-signed with Club

Devin Mesoraco avoid arbitration and signs 4 year $28,000,000 contract with Reds.
SPRO Analysis - Cincinnati gets bargain in Mesoraco. We wouldn't have gone for that fourth year yet, but on a three year basis, it's good. SPRO 3 year $20,789,000.

Week of January 19

Free Agents

Ichiro Suzuki signs 1 year $2,000,000 contract with Marlins.
SPRO Analysis - Miami gets bargain in Suzuki. Really not as large as the SPRO number will suggest. SPRO does not assume role change, thus the $4,553,000 assumes getting a similar number of at bats as last season, which he probably won't here.

Max Scherzer signs 7 year $210,000,000 contract, with Nationals. Contract stated to include deferred earnings ($15m per year for 14 years), bringing present day value down to $185 million.
SPRO Analysis - Washington pays market value for Scherzer. We think it's a tad high, but maybe that's just us. We're not in favor of these long term pitcher deals, especially for someone pitching into their late 30's. SPRO 7 years $176,400,000.

Re-signed with Club

Ryan Vogelsong signs for 1 year $4,000,000 contract with Giants.
SPRO Analysis - San Francisco gets bargain in Vogelsong. Sure, he's not the same pitcher as three years ago, but even if he pitches this year like last year, it's a bargain. SPRO $7,123,000.

Signed Before Arbitration Hearing

Week of January 12

Free Agents

Anthony Swarzak signs 1 year $900,000 contract, plus $350,000 incentives, with Indians.
SPRO Analysis - Cleveland get bargain in Swarzak. Small one. SPRO $1,364,000, but they're not on the hook for the incentives if not reached.

Michael McHenry signs for 1 year $1,0876,000 contract with Rockies, avoiding arbitration.
SPRO Analysis - Colorado overpays for Heisey. But that number doesn't look right, so it may be a market value deal. SRPO $1,792,000.

Michael Pineda signs for 1 year $2,100,000 contract with Yankees, avoiding arbitration.
SPRO Analysis - New York Yankees pay market value for Pineda. A little high for us due to durability issues. SPRO $1,623,000.

Alexi Amarista signs for 2 year $2,500,000 contract with Padres, avoiding arbitration.
SPRO Analysis - San Diego gets bargain in Amarista. Although I woudn't have gone that second year, it's actually a slight bargain because of it. SRPO one year $1,726,000.

Drew Butera signs for 1 year $987,500 contract with Angels, avoiding arbitration.
SPRO Analysis - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim overpay for Butera. Slight overpay handed out due to being a catcher and the relatively new trend of paying more for an arbitration player than you would for a low level free agent with his skills. SRPO $737,000.

Craig Stammen signs for 1 year $2,250,000 contract with Nationals, avoiding arbitration.
SPRO Analysis - Washington gets bargain in Stammen. Yes, we know he's declined the past couple years, but is still young with good stuff SRPO $3,188,000.

Tony Cruz signs for 1 year $775,000 contract with Cardinals, avoiding arbitration.
SPRO Analysis - St. Louis overpays for Cruz. It's not really significant, but Cruz, to us, is barely a replacement level player, and even though now in arbitration, isn't worth much more than that. SPRO $525,000.

Tyler Chatwood signs for 2 year $2,000,000 contract with Rockies, avoiding arbitration. Deal includes $250,000 incentives.
SPRO Analysis - Colorado pays market value for Chatwood. Given the escalation due a 2nd year arb player in 2016, this is about right. We'd have just done a one year deal at $872,000.

Jordan Lyles signs for 1 year $2,475,000 contract with Rockies, avoiding arbitration.
SPRO Analysis - Colorado overpay for Lyles. And clubs start to complain and trade folks in their arbitration years. Well, this is one example. No need to pay as if Lyles was free agent eligible. SPRO $1,387,000.

Ivan Nova signs for 1 year $3,300,000 contract with Yankees, avoiding arbitration.
SPRO Analysis - New York Yankees overpays for Nova. Right price if Nova was not hurt, but he was. SPRO $1,818,000.

A.J. Ellis signs for 1 year $4,250,000 contract with Dodgers, avoiding arbitration.
SPRO Analysis - Los Angeles Dodgers get bargain in Ellis. Boy, it's hard to say bargain for a player who batted under the Mendoza line last year, but I guess that's just what we're saying here. It's a concern that Ellis has waned the last two years, but with last year's exception, was still a positive player at a premium position. SPRO $5,569,000.

Tommy Hunter signs for 1 year $4,650,000 contract with Orioles, avoiding arbitration.
SPRO Analysis - Baltimore overpays for Hunter. Hunter, at the end of the year, was no longer their closer and he's an arbitration player for the third time. No real need to go quite that high, although that seems to be the trend with players signed prior to a hearing. SPRO $3,741,000.

Jesse Chavez signs 1 year $2,150,000 contract with A's, avoiding arbitration.
SPRO Analysis - Oakland overpays for Chavez. It's not an overpay based on just last year, but a bit considering the year's before. SPRO $1,560,000.

Week of January 5

Free Agents

Chris Denorfia signs 1 year $2,600,000 contract with Cubs.
SPRO Analysis - Chicago Cubs get bargain in Denorfia. A not great season in 2014 after two solid ones, the market is starting to get into bargain territory (outside the big names) as spring training approaches. SPRO $5,724,000.

Nick Hundley signs 2 year $6,250,000 contract with Rockies.
SPRO Analysis - Colorado overpays for Hundley. We don't like players who start to ping pong good and bad years. Good news here; he's bound for a good one. SPRO 1 year $1,966,000.

Aaron Harang signs 1 year $5,000,000 contract, plus incentivces, with White Sox.
SPRO Analysis - Philadelphia gets bargain in Harang. Harang was one of the better pitchers in baseball last year, well worth this price if he can do it again. But, he is getting older, so at least a bargain on the guaranteed end, pending the incentives. Either way, SPRO $9,126,000.

Emilio Bonifacio signs 1 year $4,000,000 contract with White Sox, including team option for $4m w/$1m buyout.
SPRO Analysis - Chicago White Sox overpays for Bonifacio. He should be worth what they're offering, considering his over 400 plate appearances last year, but, he's just not to us. 24 RBI in those appearances. SPRO $2,832,000.

Re-signed with Club

SPRO Analysis - New York Mets pay market value for Parnell. SPRO $3,574,000.
Stephen Drew resigns for 1 year $5,000,000 contract with Yankees, plus $1.5m incentives.
SPRO Analysis - New York Yankees overpay for Drew. This guy has had one good year (and it wasn't great) in the last four. He may be someone you don't want at any significant, starting player's, price. SPRO $2,984,000.

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Stat Geek Baseball and Salary Projections

The salary projections from Stat Geek Baseball and Baseball Evaluation are the result of over 5,000 hours of research into how baseball statistics and our PEVA player ratings correlate to payroll, and the results in the Salary Projection model are meant to mirror how baseball pays its players.